Government Asks Parliament For Mandate On Military Action

The government has sent to Parliament a motion authorizing it to take necessary military measures to respond to security threats from Iraq and Syria, government spokesman Bülent Arınç announced on Friday.
Arınç, speaking after a Cabinet meeting, said the government has sent one motion to Parliament, not two separate ones for Syria and Iraq as previously expected.

Arınç said the motion will be an extensive one responding to all possible military needs. Responding to a question on the scope of the mandate, Arınç indicated that the motion allows sending Turkish troops abroad and the use of Turkish territory by foreign troops.

Asked whether the measure includes extremist groups by name as threats, Arınç said it includes all groups that might constitute a security threat.

The motion will be debated in Parliament on Thursday. A senior official of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said earlier in the day that the Parliament is likely to debate the measure in a closed session.

Asked whether the debate will be closed, Arınç said if a request for closed debates comes up, it will be assessed.

Arınç said the motion will be an extensive one responding to all possible military needs. Responding to a question on the content of the motion, Arınç indicated that it allows sending troops abroad and use of Turkish territory by foreign troops.

Asked whether it includes extremist groups by name as threats, Arınç said it includes all groups that might constitute a security threat.
ISIL militants approaching Turkish tomb in Syria

Arınç also confirmed a news report published in pro-government daily Yeni Şafak that ISIL militants are positioned close to a Turkish sovereign exclave in northern Syria.
Yeni Şafak said ISIL has been reinforcing militants around the tomb of Süleyman Şah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, for the past three days and that there are now about 1,100 militants surrounding the tomb.
Arınç said, however, that Turkish troops guarding the tomb have not been evacuated. (Cihan/Today’s Zaman)